HUNTING CLAN AIR TRANSPORT, LTD.: United Kingdom (1953-1960). The Clan Steamship Company buys into Hunting Air Transport, Ltd. in October 1953 and the independent airline’s name is once more changed. The two stockholders operate the carrier as a division of a holding company, Hunting Clan Air Holdings, which the Hunting and Clan groups had jointly capitalized ?1 million (?500,000 each). The start-up fleet comprises 8 Vickers Vikings and 4 Douglas DC-3s; the workforce totals 200 with Maurice Curtiss as managing director. Late in the year, a 5% interest is taken in the Kuwait-based British International Airlines, Ltd. and orders are placed for three new Vickers Viscount 732s.
The London terminal is transferred from Bovingdon to Northolt on April 1, 1954. On April 9, DC-3 flights commence Newcastle-Hamburg and Copenhagen, with a Manchester-Newcastle connection also begun. Frequency is extended Newcastle-Oslo and Stockholm on April 14. Two Avro Yorks are acquired, one each in April and May. Joint Safari multistop London-Accra flights begin on June 14; two days later, the Stockholm destinations are withdrawn in favor of Stavanger. On June 21, mail is first carried aboard Safari flights. London (LHR)-Newcastle DC-3 operations are inaugurated on October 3.
Also in October, the carrier reaches an agreement with Dragon Airways, Ltd. for the latter to operate a Hunting-Clan Northern Division and to provide Manchester-Owliheli holiday service. In December, Vikings are introduced on the European network: London-Newcastle and Newcastle-Oslo and Stavanger on December 1; London-Paris on December 3; London-Hamburg and Copenhagen on December 6; and London-Amsterdam and Dusseldorf on December 10.
Systemwide boardings for the year total 85,483.
Operating without Airwork, Ltd., the carrier opens a third monthly Colonial Coach service on February 21,1955 from London to Gibraltar. On February 28, the subsidiary Hunting-Clan African Airways, Ltd. (HCAA) is formed at Salisbury, Rhodesia, to provide Africargo Avro York all-cargo services from London and Manchester.
Hunting-Clan becomes the sixth British carrier to employ the Vickers Viscount, receiving its first 732 in May and launching service with the turboprop on June 17. Two more Viscount 732s are received, one each in June and July.
Africargo flight activities commence on July 23, with frequency increased to twice weekly by the end of September. Meanwhile, employing a DC-3 freighter, HCAA begins all-cargo services in August from Salisbury to Nairobi.
Not having made a significant difference in scheduled service and with the war office contract of 1953 completed, the Viscounts are found to provide excess capacity and so are leased to Middle East Airlines, S. A.L. (1) on September 22 for two years.
During the fall, HCAA initiates a passenger route from Salisbury to Aberdorn via Lusaka, Ndola, and Kasama.
In December, the carrier becomes half owner (with Elder-Dempster Lines/Tyne-Tees Shipping Co.) of Dragon Airways, Ltd., which is now reorganized and moved to Newcastle from Liverpool and assigned Hunting-Clan’s entire Northern Network.
While performing an oil industry support flight in Arabia on February 18, 1956, a DC-3 is lost in a crash. In April, DC-3s replace the DH 89A that HCAA has been employing for a year on inclusive tour services from Salisbury and Vilanculos, the airport community serving a number of resort areas.
On May 3, newly delivered de Havilland DH 114 Heron 2s are placed on the London to Newcastle and Newcastle to Amsterdam and Dussel-dorf frequencies.
Johannesburg becomes a stop on the HCAA Salisbury and Vilanculos network on July 1. An additional DC-3 is purchased by the parent in July.
A new scheduled route is opened by HCAA on August 3 between Salisbury, Lusaka, and Kariba. Also in August, subsidiary Dragon Airways takes over the parent’s Southern Network; Vikings and Herons begin several new routes, including Newcastle-Belfast, Liverpool, and Bergen.
Two Viscount 759s are delivered in November and December and orders are placed for two DC-6Cs.
Not requiring the capacity of the Viscount 759s, they are sold in March and April 1957, never having entered company service. A weekly Frankfurt stop is added to the Africargo system on August 1. The Viscount 732s return from Middle East Airlines in September and on October 17 and 18, respectively, they are introduced on the Nairobi and Salisbury Safari flights.
Viscounts are placed on the joint Safari route to Accra on January 6, 1958, replacing former Colonial Coach service. One of the Viscount 732s is lost in a crash at Frimley, Surrey, on February 12 (five dead).
The two requested DC-6As arrive at London (LHR) in August and September and replace Avro Yorks on the Africargo frequencies as of December 14. Meanwhile, a DC-3 crashes in Iran on October 22 and two Bristol Britannia 317 turboprops are delivered, one each in October and December.
A Vickers Viscount 732 with a 6-man crew is lost while on a training mission at Frimley on December 2; there are no survivors.
The first Bristol Britannia 317 is placed in commercial service on January 31, 1959, flying a charter to India; the other Britannia 317 is now also making inclusive-tour flights to the Far East. A Britannia 319 is leased in January, but is returned to Bristol in February. In April, the War Office grants the carrier a new trooping contract for services to the Far East.
On May 1, a DC-6A kicks off the year’s inclusive-tour operations, flying a charter from Manchester to Palma. Three new Viscount 833s are delivered in June and July and begin flying tours from Manchester on July 10. The larger Viscounts are also placed on the Colonial Coach routes in July and August. HCAA is dissolved late in the year; its assets will later be combined with those of several other small African airlines to form Rhodesia United Air Carriers, Ltd.
A DC-3 is sold in February 1960 while negotiations are started with Airwork, Ltd. in March with the idea of a possible merger. The last five Vikings are sold in May. Following lengthy negotiations, the carrier is combined with Airwork, Ltd., on July 1 to form British United Airways, Ltd.
HW AIR, GmbH.: Germany (1975-1982). HW Air is organized at Hamburg in June 1975 to offer passenger charter flights to Elba on behalf of a tour operator. These duly begin in April 1976 with a fleet of 2 Cessna 404 Titans. Later in the decade, a Cessna 441 and a Fairchild-Swearingen Metro II are added and scheduled services are undertaken to Saarbrucken and Straubing. Unable to generate sufficient traffic and revenues in a time of recession and increased fuel prices, the small carrier shuts its doors in 1982.
HYANNIS AVIATION: United States (1977-1982). Formed to service the area around its Massachusetts namesake community, HA begins scheduled third-level operations with 3 Cessna 402s in late 1977. En-planements total 872. The workforce is increased by 600% in 1978 to 42. Passenger boardings jump 81.7% during this first full year of business, rising to 4,762. In 1979, two more Cessna 402s are acquired and routes are stretched to Falmouth and Martha’s Vineyard.
Unable to survive recession and maintain viability, the carrier ceases operations in 1982.
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